Police: Man tells officer tase me,' tackles cop

By
Caroline Sweeney, The Mercury

Friday, July 5, 2013

UPPER POTTSGROVE — A man who appeared to be high on marijuana assaulted a police officer while being fingerprinted on July 3, police said.

William R. Murphy Jr., 57, of Pottstown, was charged with two counts of felony assault on a law enforcement officer, two misdemeanor counts of simple assualt, possession of marijuana and other related charges after he allegedly tackled an officer while he was being processed.

According to police, witnesses said Murphy was at their house when he started acting strange. When the homeowners asked Murphy to leave, police said Murphy allegedly threw a glass of water at the homeowner.

When an officer arrived at the home in the first block of Rose Valley Road, Murphy was walking with his arms in the air, police said. Officers instructed Murphy to stop walking, but he did not. Instead, police said, Murphy put his arms down and ran around a large tree in the yard then toward the house where he was asked to leave.

According to police, Murphy started running toward the witness while yelling at police to use a Taser on him.

The officer on scene deployed his Taser and took Murphy into custody. While police were looking for any weapons, police said Murphy yelled, “It’s either on my driveway or in my car. I can’t remember.”

Police said the officer had to ask Murphy what he was talking about and Murphy allegedly replied, “My bag of marijuana.”

According to police, they found a red Ford Explorer in the driveway with the driver’s side door open and a plastic bag of marijuana on the floor.

When police asked Murphy about the bag, he confirmed it was his and that he had not taken any other drugs that day, police said.

Officers took Murphy to the Pottstown Police Department for processing and were advised that one of his fingerprints needed to be reprinted, police said.

Murphy allegedly became agitated, noncompliant and started yelling, police said.

A Pottstown Police officer stepped in to help the arresting officer, but when Murphy still wouldn’t comply, an Upper Pottsgrove officer pulled out a Taser.

According to police, Murphy said, “I’ll comply, just don’t tase me again.” But when Murphy continued to act out, the officer deployed the Taser, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Murphy allegedly started grabbing at an officer, and both men fell to the ground, police said. The officer had a small cut and abrasions, police said.

Murphy was arraigned on July 3 by District Judge Kenneth E. Deatelhauser and held on $10,000 monetary bail, according to court documents.

He is currently at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility waiting his next court date on July 23 at 9:15 a.m. in front of District Judge Scott T. Palladino.